WTCI to Partner with Patchwork Nation Featuring Local Bloggers
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.-September 14, 2009 – WTCI and PBS NewsHour are partnering with the Patchwork Nation project to feature local citizen bloggers who share their thoughts about local and national politics and community issues. The Tennessee Valley bloggers hail from Bradley County, Tennessee and will help the project reveal how local viewpoints shape the area and create a unique community profile as compared to other counties across the nation. WTCI is one of roughly a dozen public broadcasting stations chosen to partner with the project.
“We are thrilled to be a part of this unique project and excited to see what local bloggers have to say about our community in the Tennessee Valley,” said Paul Grove, President and CEO of WTCI. “Being part of the Patchwork Nation project allows WTCI to continue promoting education and learning.”
The Patchwork Nation is a reporting project, funded by the Knight Foundation, intended to help Americans gain a better appreciation for the wide range of attitudes, cultures and experiences that shape our hometowns and ultimately our nation. The Bradley County community is considered to be an “Evangelical Epicenter,” one of twelve different community types identified by the project. Evangelical Epicenters are considered small, socially conservative towns with a substantial influence from Evangelical Christians and the political Right.
The bloggers from Bradley County include: Jerry Noble, a local pastor for the Church of God in Cleveland, Tennessee and as director of marketing at Pathway Press Publishing; Michael Laney, a professor at Lee University who specializes in electronic and broadcast media, a retired Major in the United States Army, and an ordained Bishop; Betty Marlow, a writer for the Cleveland Daily Banner, and Emily Hildebrand, director of marketing at Pioneer Credit Company.
Patchwork Nation has identified 12 different categories according to specific data, such as race, employment, religion and household spending. Each county in the United States has been labeled with one of the 12 categories based on the majority of the demographics in that county. By researching the different cultural backgrounds and behaviors of each county, the project hopes to reveal reasoning and preferences reflective of each region over time.
The Patchwork Nation project has also recently won a Knight-Batten Special Distinction Award and WTCI has been honored in partnering with this project in reporting local bloggers’ thoughts and ideas. The Knight-Batten Awards honor creative uses of new technologies to engage citizens in public issues and showcase compelling models for the future of news.
For more information about the Patchwork Nation Program and The NewsHour visit www.pbs.org/newshour/patchworknation. WTCI, PBS for the Tennessee Valley, has been helping the community “Be more connected” for nearly 40 years. Through quality programming and educational outreach services, WTCI can help you “Be More!”.
